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Yes, that's what they're asking in London Town these days.

Actually, it's a sandwich board (quite literally, it advertises sandwiches) outside a pub called The Albany, on the corner of Great Portland Street yesterday (Friday 1st Oct).

Looks familiar? If you went to the Pipeline Instrumental Convention or the Duane Eddy Convention in the 1990s, The Albany is just across the road from the Students House.

This is slang for "Are you starvin'?" am I right?

That's right.

Cockney rhyming slang, like "let's 'ave a butchers" (butcher's hook, meaning look)
Les Rosbifs a fou!

The whole point of Cockney Rhyming Slang is that it's a code shared by those in the know. The second part -- the rhyme -- is omitted and the reader is left to work it out.

The sign should read simply, "Are you Hank?"

iefje wrote:This is slang for "Are you starvin'?" am I right?

I couldn't say how long this particular example of rhyming slang has been in currency, but it was promoted in more recent years by this TV advert...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cygzsMwGC70

Bill

I saw an interview with Hank a short while back where the subject of his name being used in rhyming slang was bought up. He response was that he was glad he changed his surname from Rankin!! Probably the most risque remark I've heard from him in an interview.

Cliff

It never did Althea and Donna any harm with Uptown Top Rankin 1978 (Steve Wright no “g” regards

fzrsew49 wrote:It never did Althea and Donna any harm with Uptown Top Rankin 1978 (Steve Wright no “g” regards

That's true